title: Real-time pulse length measurement of few-cycle laser pulses using above-threshold ionization.
abstract: The pulse lengths of intense few-cycle (4-10 fs) laser pulses at 790 nm are determined in real-time using a stereographic above-threshold ionization (ATI) measurement of Xe, i.e. the same apparatus recently shown to provide a precise, real-time, every-single-shot, carrier-envelope phase measurement of ultrashort laser pulses. The pulse length is calibrated using spectral-phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction (SPIDER) and roughly agrees with calculations done using quantitative rescattering theory (QRS). This stereo-ATI technique provides the information necessary to characterize the waveform of every pulse in a kHz pulse train, within the Gaussian pulse approximation, and relies upon no theoretical assumptions. Moreover, the real-time display is a highly effective tool for tuning and monitoring ultrashort pulse characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Institut for Optik und Quantenelektronik, Max-Wien-Platz 1, 07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sayler
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rathje
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Ch
authors.initials: Ch
authors.lastname: Kürbis
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rühle
authors.forename: Gero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stibenz
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Paulus
mesh_terms: D003199:Computer Systems; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007477:Ions; D007834:Lasers; D010783:Photometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D007477:Ions